In His Chest There's Nobody Home
by weruxox
Summary: Sophie Hatter is one of the most remarkable witches throughout Ingary. The king is constantly asking for her aid, even when he already has two Royal Wizards in his service. One day Sophie's help is again required and of course she accepts. But when she gets to know who she must work with, things aren't so simple anymore. AU, HowlxSophie.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Here goes! My first fanfic of HMC in English! Please bear with me and my English – I'm from Finland so my language isn't perfect. I hope you enjoy!**

I don't own anything related to Howl's Moving Castle.

_In his chest there's nobody home_

Sophie Hatter is the infamous and one of the most powerful witches throughout the land, who uses words as her mightiest weapon. She is an unofficial adjustment to the Royal Wizards who serve the king of Ingary. The word 'unofficial' is used because Sophie herself didn't accept the king's invitation to join his ranks, although she has a strong desire to help her country's people. When asked why she isn't a Royal Witch, she answers that she doesn't want the king to own her powers and have him use them blindly, not intending to underestimate the king's judgment of course. Sophie only desires to be free and helps the king from her own will.

Ingary had two Royal Wizards who often worked together, where Sophie preferred to carry out her tasks alone. This might though have something to do with the fact that Sophie did not like the other wizard, Howl Jenkins Pendragon, that much. With Ben Sullivan she _could_ work, but their habits were two different from each other to be any kind of an asset. Howl in the other hand could work as her pair, if he wasn't such a _jerk_, to be honest. Sophie had witnessed his bad qualities so many times that she could hardly even breathe the same air as him.

And while knowing all this, the king of Ingary one day summoned Sophie to his palace to discuss a mission where her skills would be quite helpful. Sophie arrived at the palace as arranged and was happily unaware about Howl, who had also been invited for the same assignment.

"What is taking the king so long, I've been waiting a good while already", Sophie pondered to herself while sitting in the waiting room and stared at the closed doors that led to the king's hall. Sophie wasn't in a hurry, to be exact, but she didn't like endless waiting. And it certainly wasn't like the king to keep her cooling her heels like this.  
After she had finished this thought, the doors on the other side of the room burst open, and a tall man with disgustingly gorgeous features and blonde hair stepped inside. The sudden sound startled Sophie and she turned immediately to face the incoming person. But much to her dislike she realized that wizard Howl had just paraded into the room. Sophie made a face.  
"What are _you _doing here?" she blurted out.  
"As rude and curious as ever, it seems," Howl chuckled and stopped near Sophie's seat. "I was in fact summoned by the king. After all, I _am_ a Royal Wizard."  
"Ugh", Sophie snorted. Summoned by the king, was he? But why? She had already come for the mission! Ingary didn't need magic services usually this often, unless… Oh no, he wouldn't!

Howl had begun to ask her what she was doing there, but Sophie had already gone past the two lanky guards and pushed the doors open. She walked inside with a fierce expression.  
"Your Majesty", she began, remembering the formalities in her anger. "Are you intending on making me work together with _him_?" she asked and walked forward with Howl on her heels.  
"Miss Sophie, how nice that you made it", king exclaimed with a knowing smile on his face. "And as expected of your wits, you already discovered my plan. Good job!"  
This made Sophie stop dead on her tracks and pinch the bridge of her nose. Howl halted also, just before bumping awkwardly onto Sophie's small back.  
"This can't be happening…" she mumbled to herself and the cleared her voice. The king had an expecting look on his old features when Sophie began talking again.

"I'm terribly sorry your Majesty, but you seriously cannot expect me to cooperate with this man!" she said and gestured with her right hand towards Howl. The wizard behind her took a hurtful expression and stared the back of her head.  
"And why is that, if I may inquire?" he asked voice laced with hurt, which Sophie knew to be fake. Howl had an ability to look sad even in a paradise, so what would stop him from acting now! Sophie turned slightly towards him and opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of water.  
"Be-because he is arrogant, selfish, flamboyant and a coward!"

"Why yes, but he is also above all a quite spectacular and very gifted wizard, who happens to be officially working in my service", the king added, still smiling. The wizard in question turned to smile charmingly as a 'thank you' at the king. Sophie tried her best to resist the urge to stamp her foot and let out some inappropriate words.

"But why do you want us to work together? Why not Ben?" she asked keeping her voice as even as possible. It was indeed odd that Ben wasn't involved in this, when he was the one who usually paired up with Howl.  
"I'm hurt Sophie," Howl suddenly whispered from behind her. "Do you really hate me that much?" But Sophie didn't even bother to turn around to see the well-practiced sad look on his face that she imagined him to have. Instead she just gritted her teeth like even the mere sound of his voice would set her on edge. The king only regarded the situation with a pleased smile.  
"Unfortunately wizard Suliman is currently away on other business and this task is rather challenging to be cast for only one of you. Wizard Howl is the best wizard around and you, Sophie, are the best witch I can ask for help. I don't dare even think what could be born from your powers together!"

The king's slight and careful hint went lost from the two, who were having a fierce battle by scowls and mean looks. Sophie didn't think twice about king's words and Howl had stopped listening when king had mentioned his greatness.

"As unfortunate as it might seem for you Sophie, I as the king of Ingary do not ask for your cooperation with Howl, I _demand_ it. And that is final," the king said and now Sophie couldn't repress herself any longer – she really stamped her foot vehemently to the ground and yelled "Damnation!" which only made Howl snicker under his breath. Sophie huffed from irritation and turned around. She went past the annoying blonde wizard and walked towards the great doors.

"Oh!" the king let out and Sophie froze. "I forgot to mention – to make sure you two will work as a team, Sophie will temporarily move to Wizard Howl's estate."  
"_What?_" Sophie shrieked and reversed sharply, only to see Howl marching towards her and taking her hand gently.  
"Now now, Sophie, you heard the king – it's time we leave," he sighed.  
"No! I will definitely not _live_ with _you_!" Sophie opposed and looked at the man like he was utterly insane.  
"I'm afraid you don't have a choice Sophie dear, he after all is the king of this country and we are – as much as you might hate the idea – below him," Howl calmed her down and led her through the main doors.  
"Do you have something to do with his decision?" Sophie asked as they were in the waiting room again.  
"Why of course I do!" Howl laughed. But Sophie was well aware of Howl's despicable urge to lie about almost anything, so she wouldn't believe him. Since she was pretty certain that Howl would never want her in his home, it was obvious that he was lying. Why would he – they had hated each other from the day they first met!

…At least Sophie had.

"What is this stupid task about anyway?" Sophie asked after a long moment of silence, when they walked through the king's palace, Howl still having her hand gently in his grasp.  
"I'm not sure yet, but we will most certainly have further information about it later."  
"I really hope it will be as challenging and worth-while as the king claimed, or I'll scream!" Sophie huffed.  
"And we of course wouldn't want that to happen," Howl laughed softly. Together they staggered down the palace's wide stairs, when Howl had wanted to use magic but Sophie forbade it. That indeed was one of Howl's many flaws – always wanting to slither out of everything and use the easiest way around! What on heavens name would become of their collaboration?

**A/N: Well, what do you think? :D I definitely had fun!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here's the second chapter. I still don't own any of the Howl's Moving Castle franchise!**

Wasting half of a whole day by packing her necessary things was not common of Sophie. She wasn't a slow-worker, so such a simple thing as listing and arranging her belongings to suitcases wouldn't have been a big deal _if _she wasn't going to move to Howl's castle. Any place else, and she would've been ready in a jiffy. The situation although was not a common one either so she forgave herself. Living with the Wizard Howl was more terrifying than anything to Sophie, and as a witch, she had encountered a lot of terrifying things.

Wizard Howl was from Sophie's experience incredibly childish, horribly unpredictable, too vain to be a man and to be completely honest – Sophie despised the way his mind always wondered off to think about the latest so-called 'love of his life'! Not that she was jealous or anything, she just hated the way Howl simply toyed with other girls' hearts. Females were only objects for that heartless scoundrel's games and nothing else. In Market Chipping, which was Sophie's hometown, it was said that he ate the poor girls' hearts as lunch and sucked their souls out and kept them in a jar! Sophie of course knew that the king would never hire anyone who'd lead a lifestyle like that, but Wizard Howl eating hearts sounded too fitting to be false.

As if on cue to put an ending to Sophie's negative musings, there was a soft knock on her apartment's front door. She groaned silently, knowing who would be standing there, waiting behind the door. Reluctantly she finished folding her garments into a grayish green suitcase and walked to the door pulling it open.  
"Sophie dear, for a second I was almost certain you'd leave me here to freeze!" the wizard in question said in a whining manner.  
"Oh I'm terribly sorry, Howl. I just wasn't all that enthusiastic to open since I knew it was you", she answered and stood aside so Howl could come in. The wizard took the hint and pranced inside turning his head around to observe his surroundings a bit.

"Seems comfortable and… cozy. Rather small though", he commented with a hand on his hip. Ha! And who was the nosy one now, Sophie thought bitterly.  
"Well I do live alone", she said and closed the wooden front door with an exhausted look. "There's no need for a bigger apartment."  
"Alone? I see… How woesome", Howl said with a slight frown on his features. "Living alone is so awfully quiet in my opinion."  
"I enjoy silence… It's peaceful", Sophie said a bit sheepishly. She had lived with her family though until she decided it'd be better for Fanny. Sophie's family had own a small hat shop, but when the Hatter sisters' father died, Fanny sent Sophie's sisters Lettie to a bakery apprenticeship and Martha to Mrs. Fairfax to learn magic. Sophie had stayed with Fanny at the hat shop, but when Sophie herself realized she – the eldest of three, doomed to a dull life – could do magic, she studied further and moved to live alone. Soon after that Fanny sold the hat shop away and remarried. Sophie had heard that Fanny very much enjoyed her new life at the Smith mansion.

But living alone was the most practical to Sophie, who had a habit of talking mainly to herself and inanimate objects. Since her magic was mainly in her words, she could talk objects into life - which had proved to be extremely useful. Sophie however kept this fact as a secret – she didn't after all know anything about the other two wizards' magic either. But now she was to be working with the Horrible Howl himself and her powers would stay in secret no longer.  
"But wait – I thought you live alone in that strange castle of yours", Sophie questioned.  
"Ah, the truth behind that will be revealed soon enough", Howl smiled sweetly and sat down on one of Sophie's comfy armchairs near the hearth. Sophie became a little vexed now that the whole living-together-issue had been brought up again. She almost opened her mouth to voice her thoughts, but Howl beat her to it.

"You liking the silence certainly explains things", he said thoughtfully, suddenly changing the subject. "How you haven't been heard of in Porthaven or even Kingsbury, where everyone knows everything, and yet you happen to be working with the king himself."  
Sophie simply huffed and crossed her arms. It wasn't the first time when someone said something like that to her. Even her family wouldn't know how she was doing if Sophie didn't write to them from time to time. Nevertheless Sophie had customers coming at a steady pace and she could afford such a nice home. She simply didn't like attention and preferred to stay unknown. It would be awful if people needing magic would come to her door every five minutes – it was better to do things in peace and without hurry, and of course Sophie had her life to live too, not just her work!  
"Some of us just don't have to tendency of making themselves ever so important and bathe in attention", she bit back to him. Howl Jenkins Pendragon was definitely the worst person at keeping a low profile and that could be noticed by anybody! Even his appearance screamed that he like to bask in admiration and attention. That unnaturally shiny blonde hair and those grand outfits made from expensive fabrics which must have cost a fortune!

"Now, now. If you must know, my house resides in Porthaven and I run a business in Kingsbury – that is why I am aware of the gossip."  
"Porthaven?" Sophie raised an eyebrow in surprise. Howl has a house in Porthaven? A business in Kingsbury? But his castle was in the Wastes! That's a lot of teleporting to do if one wants to have a shop in the capital while they actually live near Market Chipping – the distance is tremendously many miles! "Why do you have a house there?"  
"Nosy as always. You shall see for yourself when we make it home", Howl said with a gentle smile that clearly signaled the end of this discussion. Sophie made an impolite face on the thought of calling Howl's castle a _home_ for any kind of time period. Sophie couldn't help but get even a bit more annoyed because of Howl's way of conversing. What an annoying, secretive man! Hiding something behind every look and every sentence! And to worsen everything, Howl merely laughed at the entire situation.

After Sophie had completely packed and checked for the umpteenth time that she had everything she needed, Howl had gotten them a horse carriage-looking like transportation device to take them to Wastes, where his castle was standing. Sophie looked at the horses in front with a sad frown before getting inside.  
"Poor dogs", she mumbled, for feeling sympathy for the animals.  
"Don't fret, dear Sophie, they're trained for the purpose", Howl tried to console her while climbing in right after her.  
"Still, to be treated like a horse… It's against nature!" she said as they both sat down and the door closed behind them. The carriage started moving along the old brick road with a thump. There was no sound of hoofs clapping to the bricks, more like soft paws meeting with the stone. This gave Howl a slight fright, probably thinking that Sophie was going to turn those horses back to their original form as large hounds.  
"Careful with you words now, we don't want to end up walking with the luggage, do we?"

Sophie huffed and turned to look out of the window. As had already been said many times, Sophie was definitely not pleased. She was well on her way to follow the king's orders and live with the last being in the whole wide Ingary she'd ever want to work with. Sophie had decided to try and tolerate him, as this was for the king after all and as a loyal citizen she had no choice but to obey. But the nerve of the king! To make an unmarried young woman live under the roof of malodorous wizard Howl Jenkins! Definitely uncalled for, she thought. Her thoughts reminded her a bit of her stepmother and she wondered what her family would say about this, if they knew. Fanny would probably threaten to faint after hearing that her eldest stepdaughter would be moving in with a young man, as maiden! Sophie almost drew a bet with herself about how Fanny would tell about the scandal in the mansion and sooner or later the entire Market Chipping would be chattering about her.

Lettie and Martha in the other hand would have a different opinion entirely, Sophie was sure. They'd just encourage her to catch Howl's eye in a romantic manner, just like they always did when it came to Sophie and the baker's apprentice, Sophie and the mailman, Sophie and the milkman… But Sophie was nothing of the sort! And she definitely wasn't interested in Howl. It was more like an utmost pain to reside in his presence even for a little while. As innocent being however, such thoughts brought a light shade of crimson to Sophie's cheeks. Daringly she glimpsed a look to the wizard's direction and saw him looking out from the opposite window with an inexplicable expression on his face. Even when Sophie very much would've liked to, she couldn't deny that the wizard was extremely handsome. Well of course he was, Sophie thought bitterly, it'd be such waste if all his vanity was for nothing. Suddenly Howl raised a smirk, as if to imply he knew that Sophie was looking but didn't turn. Alarmed, she faced her side's window again and the rest of the trip remained silent.

**A/N: Sorry, didn't leave you an annoying cliff-hanger :D More like a… natural ending for a chapter. Boring though XD Anyway, did you like it? **


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